Cursor navigation system and method for a display

• US 20020084981A1
• Filed: 05/02/2001
• Published: 07/04/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Rembrandt Portable Display Technologies, LP (Rembrandt IP Management, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Rembrandt Portable Display Technologies, LP (Rembrandt IP Management, LLC)
• Inventors: Flack, James F., Valet, Thierry
• Application Number:
  US09/847,183
• Publication Number:
  US 20020084981A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/157
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning

Abstract

The present invention is a cursor that reflects what portion of a virtual space a display is showing by the cursor being in a corresponding space on the display. Embodiments of this invention include the cursor being limited to movement within a cursor zone, and reflecting what portion of a virtual space is on display by having a corresponding position with the cursor zone. The cursor zone may have a variety of sizes, shapes and locations, and may also act as a scrolling barrier for contents of the virtual space.

Claims

1. A cursor for a display comprising:

a computer system with screen for showing the display and a set of user interface controls;

data shown on the display, the data having a virtual space equal to or greater than a portion of the display allotted to displaying the virtual space; and

movement controls that move the data in relation to the display;

wherein the cursor is at a position on the display that correlates to the portion of the data the data being shown on the display.

2. A cursor for a display as in claim 1, wherein the cursor is limited to movement within a cursor zone, whereby the cursor is at a position in the cursor zone that correlates to the portion of the data being shown on the display.

3. A cursor for a display as in claim 2, wherein at least a portion of the cursor zone is within the perimeter of the display.

4. A cursor for a display as in claim 2, wherein moving of the data shown on the display is stopped by the edges of the cursor zone.

5. A cursor for a display as in claim 2 wherein the cursor zone is entirely within the perimeter of the display.

6. A cursor for a display as in claim 1, wherein the cursor moves at a greater rate when the display is displaying a center portion of the data versus an edge portion of the data.

7. A cursor for a display as in claim 1, wherein the speed of movement of the y axis of the cursor is at a different rate than the speed of movement of the x axis of the cursor.

8. A cursor movement system comprising:

a computer system;

a cursor;

a display capable of showing the cursor; and

a virtual image, wherein the display is able to show only a portion of the virtual image at a time;

wherein the cursor moves on the display relative to the portion of the virtual image on the display, whereby a user can ascertain which portion of the virtual image is being shown by the position of the cursor on the display.

9. A cursor for a display as in claim 8, wherein the cursor is bound by the perimeter of the display.

10. A cursor for a display as in claim 8, wherein the cursor is bound by the perimeter of the virtual image on display on the display.

11. A cursor for a display as in claim 8, wherein the cursor is bound by a cursor zone within the perimeter of the display.

12. A cursor movement system as in claim 11, wherein the cursor zone is centered on the virtual image shown on the display.

13. A cursor for a display as in claim 8, wherein a content in the virtual image will not scroll past the cursor zone.

14. A cursor for a display as in claim 8, wherein the position of the cursor on the display is opposite the position of the portion of the virtual image shown on the display.

16. A method for scrolling content on a display as in claim 15, wherein the movement of the cursor is limited to a cursor zone.

17. A method for scrolling content on a display as in claim 16, wherein the portion of the virtual content that correlates to the position of the cursor is based on the position of the cursor in the cursor zone.

18. A method for scrolling content on a display as in claim 16, wherein the virtual content will not scroll past a predetermined edge of the cursor zone.

19. A method for scrolling contents on a display as in claim 15, wherein movement of the cursor over a center of the portion of the display for showing the virtual content produces a different scrolling speed than movement of the cursor over an edge of the portion of the display for showing the virtual content.

20. A method for scrolling content on a display as in claim 15, wherein the scrolling of the virtual content is discontinuous, such that scrolling is only performed when a user activated that function.

15. A method for scrolling contents on a display, comprising:

having a virtual content;

having a portion of the display show the virtual content;

having a cursor;

wherein movement of the cursor over the portion of the display for showing the virtual content scrolls the virtual content; and

wherein the display shows a portion of the virtual content that correlates to the position of the cursor.

21. A cursor movement system for a display wherein the display shows only a portion of a virtual document, wherein a cursor used for carrying out functions on the virtual document remains in a fixed position relative to the perimeter of the display when the display is scrolling the virtual document.

22. A cursor for a display comprising:

data shown on the display the data having a virtual space equal to or greater than the display; and

movement controls that move the data in relation to the display;

wherein the cursor is at a position in the display that correlates to the portion of the data being shown on the display.